Fat Transfer(Microfat, Nanofat, and SVF)
What Is Facial Fat Transfer?
Facial Fat Transfer, also known as Autologous Fat Grafting or Facial Lipofilling, is a surgical procedure designed to restore lost facial volume using the patient’s own adipose tissue.
As we age, facial fat compartments gradually lose volume, contributing to hollow temples, sunken cheeks, tear trough deformities, deeper facial folds, and a tired or aged appearance.
Unlike synthetic dermal fillers, autologous fat grafting uses the patient’s own tissue to restore facial volume and improve facial contours.
At Blue Angel Poly Clinic in Dubai, consultations and surgical planning are coordinated under the management of Dr. Eli, in collaboration with Dr. Kamran Asadi, Double Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, who has over 23 years of surgical experience.
Following the necessary preoperative blood investigations, medical assessment, and anesthesia consultation, suitable patients undergo their surgical procedures at Emirates Hospital Dubai.
All facial fat transfer surgeries are performed by Dr. Kamran Asadi at Emirates Hospital Dubai, not at Blue Angel Poly Clinic.
The primary goal is to achieve natural-looking facial rejuvenation, restore harmonious facial proportions, and provide long-lasting volume enhancement.
Microfat, Nanofat, and SVF: What Is the Difference?
Fat contains more than fat cells. It also carries natural components that support tissue health and repair. Depending on how it is prepared, your own fat can restore facial volume, improve skin quality, or support regenerative treatments.
1. Microfat: Restoring Facial Volume
What is microfat?
Microfat is your own fat, carefully harvested and purified into small particles. It keeps living fat cells and other natural tissue components.
What does it do?
Microfat restores lost facial volume and improves facial contours, for a fuller, smoother, and more balanced appearance. It suits patients who need volume in several areas of the face.
Where is it used?
- Hollow temples and forehead
- Sunken cheeks and midface volume loss
- Under-eye hollows (tear troughs)
- Nasolabial folds
- Chin and jawline contouring
- Selected facial asymmetries
- Back of the hands
- Selected nasal contour irregularities
It is placed in deeper tissue layers to provide volume and support. The exact depth depends on the treatment area and your anatomy.
2. Nanofat: Improving Skin Quality
What is nanofat?
Nanofat is your own fat processed into a very fine, smooth liquid. Most mature fat cells are broken down, while smaller cellular and tissue components are preserved.
What does it do?
Unlike microfat, nanofat is not used to add volume. It supports skin rejuvenation and may improve overall skin quality.
Where is it used?
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Thin, delicate, or crepey skin
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Uneven skin texture
- Acne scars and selected superficial scars
- Signs of skin aging
It is injected into superficial tissue layers or used alongside selected skin treatments. Results vary, and research into its regenerative benefits is still developing.
3. SVF (Stromal Vascular Fraction): Supporting Tissue Regeneration
What is SVF?
SVF is a mixture of cells collected from your own fat tissue through special processing. It contains several cell types involved in tissue support, blood vessel formation, and natural repair.
What does it do?
SVF is being studied for its potential role in tissue repair and regenerative medicine. It may support healing and tissue quality, although many cosmetic uses are still considered investigational.
Where is it used?
- Facial skin rejuvenation
- Scar improvement
- Sun-damaged skin
- Hair restoration
- Fat grafting procedures
In some protocols, SVF is added to transferred fat to study whether it improves graft survival and tissue integration. The clinical benefits are not yet consistently proven, and availability depends on local medical regulations.
Which Treatment Is Right for You?
Microfat restores facial volume and improves contours.
Nanofat improves skin quality rather than adding volume.
SVF is a specialized cell-based preparation still being studied for tissue regeneration and repair.
Microfat and nanofat can be combined in selected patients to treat volume loss and skin quality together.
The right approach depends on your facial anatomy, skin condition, goals, and medical assessment.
Under-Eye Fat Transfer for Dark Circles and Tear Trough Hollows
Tear trough hollowing is a common cause of under-eye shadows and a tired appearance.
Microfat transfer to the infraorbital region can help restore lost volume, soften the tear trough depression, and create a smoother transition between the lower eyelid and cheek.
In selected patients, nanofat may also be used to improve the appearance of thin under-eye skin, fine wrinkles, and skin texture.
Combining these techniques may provide a natural, potentially long-lasting alternative to repeated under-eye dermal filler injections.
However, periorbital dark circles have several possible causes, including hyperpigmentation, visible superficial blood vessels, genetic factors, skin laxity, and lower eyelid fat prolapse.
These conditions may require different or additional treatments.
Autologous fat grafting is particularly suitable for patients whose dark circles are predominantly caused by tear trough hollowing and age-related volume loss.
Facial Fat Transfer vs. Dermal Fillers
Both autologous fat grafting and injectable dermal fillers can restore facial volume. However, they differ in composition, longevity, biological behavior, and potential complications.
Potential Complications of Hyaluronic Acid Fillers Under the Eyes
Hyaluronic acid fillers offer immediate volume correction without surgical fat harvesting.
However, superficial placement of hyaluronic acid filler beneath the thin skin of the lower eyelid may cause a bluish or grayish discoloration known as the Tyndall Effect.
Residual filler may persist longer than expected and contribute to chronic periorbital edema, puffiness, visible contour irregularities, or an unnatural appearance.
Other possible complications include filler migration, palpable nodules, and persistent swelling.
Why Choose Autologous Facial Fat Transfer?
Potential advantages include:
- Natural-looking restoration of facial volume
- Treatment of multiple facial areas during one procedure
- Biological integration of surviving fat cells into surrounding tissues
- Potentially permanent retention of a proportion of transplanted fat
- Reduced need for repeated dermal filler treatments in selected patients
Fat grafting is a surgical procedure, and outcomes depend on surgical technique, patient anatomy, healing, and graft survival.
Unlike hyaluronic acid fillers, transplanted fat cannot be dissolved using hyaluronidase.
How Is Facial Fat Transfer Performed?
Step 1 – Consultation and Facial Assessment
Dr. Kamran Asadi evaluates facial anatomy, the degree of volume loss, medical history, and individual aesthetic goals.
Step 2 – Fat Harvesting
Adipose tissue is harvested from a suitable donor area, commonly the abdomen, flanks, or thighs, using specialized liposuction techniques.
Step 3 – Fat Processing
The harvested adipose tissue is carefully processed using appropriate techniques to prepare microfat or nanofat according to the intended clinical application.
Step 4 – Fat Grafting
The prepared fat is injected in small, controlled quantities into selected facial areas to restore volume and achieve smooth, natural-looking contours.
Step 5 – Recovery and Follow-Up
Patients receive individualized postoperative care instructions and follow-up appointments.
The type of anesthesia depends on the extent of fat grafting and whether additional surgical procedures are performed.
How Long Does Facial Fat Transfer Last?
Facial fat transfer can provide long-lasting and, in some cases, permanent volume restoration.
During the initial healing period, a proportion of the transplanted fat is naturally resorbed.
Surviving adipocytes may establish a blood supply and integrate into the surrounding tissues.
Fat graft retention varies between patients, and no fixed survival percentage can be guaranteed.
Once successfully established, surviving fat cells may remain for many years, although natural aging and changes in body weight continue to influence facial appearance.
Some patients achieve satisfactory results after one procedure, while others may require an additional fat grafting session.
Recovery, Postoperative Care, and Potential Complications
Temporary swelling, bruising, tenderness, and facial fullness are common after facial fat grafting.
Recovery time depends on the extent of the procedure and whether additional facial surgeries are performed.
Patients are generally advised to avoid unnecessary pressure or massage over grafted areas, follow prescribed postoperative medications, protect the skin from excessive sun exposure, and avoid strenuous physical activity until medically cleared.
Maintaining a stable body weight may help preserve the aesthetic outcome.
Potential complications include infection, bleeding, asymmetry, contour irregularities, fat necrosis, oil cyst formation, and unpredictable graft retention.
Rare but serious vascular complications, including vision loss or stroke, are also possible.
Careful surgical planning, appropriate patient selection, and postoperative follow-up are essential.
Who Is a Suitable Candidate for Facial Fat Transfer?
Suitable candidates may include women and men experiencing age-related facial volume loss, individuals with naturally thin facial features, hollow temples or cheeks, and patients with under-eye volume deficiency.
Patients seeking natural-looking facial rejuvenation or considering combined facelift procedures may also benefit.
Individuals with autoimmune conditions, previous dermal fillers, or significant medical histories require additional evaluation.
Adequate donor fat, realistic expectations, and appropriate medical fitness for surgery are important considerations.
Why Choose Blue Angel Poly Clinic in Dubai?
Blue Angel Poly Clinic provides personalized consultations and facial rejuvenation planning in collaboration with Dr. Kamran Asadi.
The approach includes individualized selection of microfat and nanofat techniques, ultrasound assessment of previous fillers when indicated, and planning for combined facial rejuvenation procedures.
Under the management of Dr. Eli, patients can receive coordinated preoperative consultations and treatment planning.
All surgical procedures are performed at Emirates Hospital Dubai, following the required medical investigations and anesthesia assessment.
Ask for more informationFrequently Asked Questions About Facial Fat Transfer
Is Facial Fat Transfer Permanent?
Surviving transplanted fat cells may remain permanently. However, some fat absorption occurs during healing, and future changes in body weight and natural aging may affect the final result.
Can Fat Transfer Treat Dark Circles Under the Eyes?
Fat transfer may provide long-lasting improvement when dark circles are primarily caused by tear trough hollowing and volume deficiency.
Dark circles caused by pigmentation, vascular visibility, or other anatomical factors may require additional treatments.
Is Facial Fat Transfer Better Than Dermal Fillers?
Fat transfer may be more suitable for selected patients requiring extensive volume restoration, while dermal fillers may be appropriate for smaller, nonsurgical corrections.
Can Facial Fat Transfer Be Combined with a Facelift?
Yes. In appropriately selected patients, autologous fat grafting may be combined with a Deep Plane Facelift, Neck Lift, or endoscopic facial surgery during the same operation.
Where Is Facial Fat Transfer Performed in Dubai?
Consultations and surgical planning are coordinated through Blue Angel Poly Clinic.
All facial fat transfer surgeries are performed by Dr. Kamran Asadi at Emirates Hospital Dubai.
Make an Appointment
Meet the doctor, have your skin assessed with ultrasound, and decide with a clear plan.
- Address
- 181A Al Wasl Road, Al Bada'a, Dubai
- Hours
- Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00AM to 7:00PM
- +971 52 699 3843